Pelletized foodstuffs for cereals, toppings, snacks, and a multitude of other purposes have long been known and used as a means for preserving, storing and supplying foods in bulk and on a commercial scale. The raw materials of known pellets include, among others, wheat, corn, rice, potatoes, admixtures thereof, and the like. The pellets, usually subsequent to puffing, can be coated as desired for flavoring, enrichment, etc.
The puffing or expanding of the pellets has heretofore principally been done on a commercial scale using industrial ovens wherein, most commonly, the pellets are expanded utilizing oil as a heating medium. As will be appreciated, in the modern environment of low fat foods, oils of substantial all types, as well as foods containing such oils are, for health reasons, falling out of favor.
It has also been known, on a commercial scale, to expand the pellets in industrial ovens by utilization of hot air. Such operations, for commercial purposes, normally rely on a continuous flow-through of the products and require an industrial environment for production.
The only attempts heretofore made for domestic use of raw pellets, that is conversion or puffing of the pellets at the time of home consumption, has been through use of home microwave or conventional convection ovens. However, such attempts have been generally unacceptable, particularly when using the conventionally formed pellets. This can be due to any number of problems including partial or uneven expansion, cooking or baking of the pellets rather than puffing, agglomeration, and the like.